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SCF Rwanda Pilot

With more than 95% of the population using wood for cooking, Rwanda faces ever increasing threat of deforestation. Furthermore, continuous exposure to smoke has serious consequences for health, including diminished lungs capacity and vulnerability to respiratory infections. Replacing inefficient cooking technologies, such as three-stone cookstoves, with high-performance alternatives helps address threats of the indoor air pollution, slows deforestation, and reduces harmful greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Being a developing country, Rwanda faces numerous economic challenges to finance such transition to cleaner cooking technologies. However, a solution can be found through participation in international carbon markets, where the country can trade verified emission reductions (or carbon credits) for profit. These profits can be used later to finance larger deployment of clean cookstoves, support innovative business models, and stimulation of investment in the sector. Monetization of the emission reductions requires the country to apply certain rules and requirements set at international level, which oftentimes cumbersome, rigid and heavy transaction oriented.

The SCF pilot in Rwanda follows a successful initial pilot of the program in Senegal.

The SCF Pilot in Rwanda will focus on high-efficiency fuelwood and charcoal cookstoves used to replace low-efficiency cookstoves. Programs that use efficient cookstoves with renewable biomass, such as pellets and briquettes, are also eligible to participate.

The SCF Pilot will initially include only one program – the improved cookstove program undertaken by Inyenyeri. However, in future, the Program Protocol may be revised to include other programs and technologies, using the advantages of the flexible design and adaptability of the SCF.

While the SCF Pilot cannot guarantee that the activities will be eligible for crediting under the Paris Agreement, the results of the pilot will inform future climate change mitigation cooperation between Rwanda and other countries, supporting Rwanda’s drive for innovation and commitment to the global climate change agenda.